1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to remote systems for automotive dealerships, and particularly to a remote system for selectively arming/disarming vehicles.
2. Background Art
Automotive dealerships generally have a large number of vehicles for sale. Salesmen at dealerships are responsible for demonstrating vehicles to potential customers. For security, the vehicles may be either locked or otherwise protected by an electronic security system. To demonstrate a vehicle to a potential customer, salesmen must be able to unlock the car and, if necessary, disarm the security system. Vehicle security systems are responsive to remote control signals that are generated by key fob transmitters that are matched to specific receivers for each vehicle's security system. Unfortunately, it is necessary for a salesman to have a transmitter for each vehicle to produce an appropriate remote control signal for each car. If customers wish to see several vehicles or become interested in a vehicle as they are touring the dealership lot, the salesman must carry several transmitters or return to the office for each vehicle to be demonstrated.
Some dealers avoid such problems by disabling or not arming the security systems. By doing so, the security of vehicles on the dealer's lot may be compromised during the time that the dealership is open. It is also necessary to lock and arm each vehicle at closing time to protect vehicles when the dealership is closed, or at other times when dealership employees are not authorized to access or start the vehicles.
If the security system is not armed when customers see a demonstration of a vehicle, they may not realize that the vehicle is equipped with a security system and the salesman may not demonstrate the system's features and ease of operation. If the security system is not demonstrated, customers will be less likely to purchase the security system with the vehicle.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to reduce the number of transmitters by having a common transmitter operable for controlling at least one component on any one desired vehicle on the lot. Secondly, it would be beneficial to enhance security by providing a transmitter that has a limited range so that only the vehicle nearest the transmitter is disarmed. Thirdly, it would be beneficial to further enhance security by prohibiting operation of the remotely controlled components during a programmable time period, for example, during the hours when the dealership personnel are not authorized to access the vehicles.
As such, and in response to the potential benefits noted above, there is a need for selectively controlling vehicle components according to selectable signal transmission range and that is programmable to limit the time period of operation in order to solve the problems identified above and other problems that will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the attached specification and drawings.